The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) has paused its proposed outpatient medication payment rulemaking, designating the rule as "To Be Refiled.”

This decision, prompted by feedback from concerned self-insured stakeholders, allows BWC additional time to address concerns and make necessary revisions.

The BWC clarified that the proposed changes focus on state fund claims, but left questions about how reimbursement rates would be communicated and implemented for self-insured claims. Since the proposed rate changes apply to both state fund and self-insured, this gap in clarity raised significant concerns for stakeholders managing self-insured programs.

Advocacy efforts from Healthesystems and other stakeholders brought these issues to light, prompting the BWC to reevaluate their approach. In response, BWC has recognized the need for greater transparency, prompting them to provide opportunities for public comment on the reimbursement rates, and the importance of providing sufficient time for implementation.